SUPPORT LEGAL ACTION IN PANAMA AGAINST VLADIMIRO MONTESINOS

Derechos Human Rights
http://www.derechos.org/
hr@derechos.org

Oct. 17, 2000

The American Association of Jurists has presented a criminal complaint before a Panamanian court asking that Vladimiro Montesinos be prosecuted for crimes of false imprisonment and tortured committed against named Peruvian citizens. As former head of the Peruvian National Intelligence Service, Montesinos oversaw the commission of false arrests, torture and murders by members of the organization. Montesinos is also reported to be the head of the Grupo Colina death squad, responsible for the Barrios Altos massacre and the La Cantuta mass disappearance, among other atrocities.

The purported right hand of President Fujimori, Montesinos was once considered the second most powerful man in Peru but fell from grace in September 2000, after video tapes of him offering a bribe to a Senator were shown on national TV. Montesinos has since fled to Panama, where he has requested political asylum and currently resides.

Derechos Human Rights and other human rights groups in Peru and Latin America support the complaint filed by the American Association of Jurists and asks you to add your voice to those seeking the prosecution of Montesinos. Please send a letter to the following addresses requesting his prosecution. A sample letter follows.

Mireya Moscoso
President of Panama
ofasin@presidencia.gob.pa Jose M. Aleman
Foreign Minister
prensa@mire.gob.pa

Jose A. Sosa
Attorney General
procadm@procuraduria-admon.gob.pa

Copies to the

American Association of Jurists
aajus@onebox.com

Sample Letter:

Very distinguished Madam President
Distinguished Mr. Foreign Minister
Distinguished Mr. Attorney General

I am writing to respectfully request that you take all the necessary measures to guarantee that Vladimiro Montesinos, a Peruvian citizen currently located in Panama, be prosecuted according to international and Panamanian law for the crimes against humanity he has been formally accused of.

Panama should not be seen as a refuge for murderers and torturers, but as a country where human rights are respected and promoted.

Sincerely,

Your Name and Address

You can find the complaint presented by the AAJ at http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/peru/doc/denu.html

More information on Montesinos at: http://www.desaparecidos.org/peru/tort/montesinos/eng.html

The Human Rights Action Network, a project of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.